Allegro
by BreeZombiee
Summary: The day that Kurt Hummel discovered he wanted to be a dancer he was four years old, sitting in his mother's lap at the local showing of Swan Lake at the downtown theatre in Columbus. As the years go by and things change, Kurt thinks that he'll never dance again, but the appearance of one Noah Puckerman may just change his mind, and his life.
1. Chapter 1

The day that Kurt Hummel discovered he wanted to be a dancer he was four years old, sitting in his mother's lap at the local showing of Swan Lake at the downtown theatre in Columbus. He remembered slipping his thumb into his mouth and marveling at all the people on stage, with their pristine costumes, the orchestra in perfect sync, and the well worn but gorgeous Pointe shoes. Yes, most of all he remembered the shoes, because even though the music was captivating, and the dancers were perfect, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the dancers feet. He took in every movement they made, following the kicks high in the air, the pointed toes as they spun and spun, and as the curtain fell at the end of the show he knew. He needed to be up there on that stage.

His obsession grew from then on, he begged his mother and father every single day for his very own pair of ballet flats. He listened outside his parent's door as they whispered about whether or not they should get them. His mother had always been on his side, but his father had his doubts. He was worried the others would make fun of his son for being different, that they would think he was gay.

The words his mother spoke after that were so low that no matter how much Kurt held his breath and pressed his ear against the door, he could not hear them. But that next day at dinner, he was presented with his very own pair of shoes.

The first time he held those shoes in his hand he knew that he would spend the rest of his life making his parents proud, making sure they knew that getting them wasn't a mistake. His mother smiled at him gleefully and his father rubbed his balding head with a small sheepish grin, his cheeks flushed red and the slight hint of remorse in his eyes that Kurt chose to ignore.

It had been four months before Kurt got the courage to ask his parents for lessons. Kurt knew that he was good, but he wanted to be better and grow stronger. He had overheard his classmate Rachel Berry at school bragging about how she was top of her class and would be getting a solo in their recital. Kurt wanted that more than anything, he wanted to dance with other kids and get better and better until he had his very own solo in a recital. He wanted to be like those dancers in Columbus, breathtaking and beautiful and so very, very talented.

Once again his mother had agreed and his father started taking on a few extra hours down at the garage to pay for the lessons, and with those lessons, came a new pair of shoes. Kurt smiled up at his father the night that they were handed to him, and pretended not to notice the shocked look on his mothers face, or the way that her smile warmed the entire room as she took Burt into her arms, pressing her lips to his temple and whispering something that sounded close to "I'm so proud of you.".

When Kurt was six years old they found the tumor on his mother's brain, one they found too late. Kurt once more found himself with his ear against his parent's door, holding his breath to hear what they were saying. He heard his father whispering about medical bills, and how they just couldn't afford Kurt's lessons, and how it just wasn't fair and "Goddammit Elizabeth I can't raise that boy on my own."

Kurt remembered running to his room and crying because life really wasn't fair, he wanted his mother and he wanted his father and he wanted to keep dancing. He remembered sitting on his bed, clutching his worn shoes in his hands and thinking of all the ways that he could make the doctors fix his mothers head so that things wouldn't have to change, so that he could keep all the things that he loved so much.

That was how his mother found him the next morning, curled on his bed with a pair of dirty shoes in his arms and tear stains on his cheeks. He broke down into his tears, explaining to his mother everything that was wrong and why the world wasn't fair and that he'd stop going to lessons because he loved his mom more than he loved dancing, he promised he did. But that wasn't the promise Elizabeth had him make, that promise sounded more like "Kurt Hummel, you will never stop dancing, no matter what anyone says, you do what you love, forever. Promise you'll do that for me. Promise you'll always do what you love."

And he did.

The cancer took his mother slowly, worsening one day and the next it seemed like she was herself again and things would be okay, but then would change mere moments later to almost a stranger that Kurt couldn't recognize. He got so used to coming home from school to that stranger screaming at his father, throwing dishes at the wall, and fisting what was left of her hair between cold, shaking hands. Those were the nights that Kurt would focus on nothing but dance, letting the music almost posses him as he twirled in his room, watching his footwork in the mirror.

Those nights would end with him slowly submerging his feet into an ice bucket, bloodied and blistered from the hours of music deafeningly loud to try to wash out the screaming. He had become so accustomed to the screaming.

On his eighth birthday Kurt came home to his mom, smiling as she gestured to the living room full of balloons and streamers, presents piled high and a familiar grin on his father's face. Kurt had laughed with his parents that night, opening gifts and eating more cake and ice-cream that he could fit into his belly. And that night he fell asleep in-between his parents with the happiest smile on his face.

At eight years old he lost his mother, whose stiff arms still held him in the morning. Whose eyes never opened again to show that delightful crinkle when she smiled. At eight years old, Kurt Hummel watched his father cry as her body was lowered into the ground. He remembered putting his head down and watching his tears fall onto the new pair of ballet shoes that she had picked for his birthday just days prior.

At eight years old, Kurt made a promise to himself that he would never stop dancing.

But he did.


	2. Chapter 2

The coffee in his hands did nothing to warm Kurt from the brisk autumn air as the wind blew, slipping through the sleeves of his coat and into his chest, chilling him to the bone. He ducked his head even lower, burying his nose into the plaid scarf around his neck, trying to avoid the rest of the pedestrians trying to get home from their busy work day. But for Kurt 5pm was just the beginning. As he finally made it to the theatre he felt his shoulders relax listening to the orchestra tuning up. The shuffling of clothed feet on the wooden stage calmed his nerves, and even Rachel's loud chattering as she walked towards him was a welcome greeting.

"Kurt! Do you know how late you are? The show starts in an hour and you haven't even warmed up yet! This is our last chance to practice before the auditions!"  
Kurt just smiled fondly at his friend, nodding along as he walked with her towards the back of the stage. He slipped on his tights and leotard before lacing his shoes slowly and carefully, making sure they were just right. As he practiced at the bar with Rachel they shared a rare silence, nothing but the sound of their breathing and the piano tuning passed between them. He slowed his breaths, arm outstretched as he followed her lead for once, needing someone to ground him so his nerves wouldn't sneak up on him. This had been the audition he waited for his entire life, the one that he knew he just had to get for his mother. He needed to prove to himself that the promise he had made almost thirteen years ago was worth something, which was that Kurt Hummel could be on that Columbus stage and dance in Swan Lake.

The lights flashed twice, signaling it was time to line up for the auditions. Kurt's heart thrummed against his chest as he clutched Rachel's hand while they waited in line to be called. Each person had a mere two minutes to prove that they were worth a role in the ballet. He bit his lip as he watched Rachel perform, her moves were flawless and he knew that he was the only one who could tell how nervous she was. He clapped with gusto as she took her final bow, staring intently at the four people who could change their very lives. As she tip toed back to him he flung his arms around her, whispering how great she had down while the next dancer took the floor.

"I missed a beat!" Rachel exclaimed sadly, resting her head against Kurt's chest. "I'm never going to get it." She sniffed as Kurt held her, running his hand across the expanse of her back.

"No one noticed Rachel, you were amazing. And they would be idiots not to choose you!" he spoke fiercely, taking her by the shoulders. "It's you and me together in this. We've been training for years, we can do it Rachel."

She nodded, wiping away her tears as she stared up at him. "She'd be so proud of you, Kurt."

Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat as he nodded, hearing his name called to take the stage. He gripped Rachel's hand once more before he made his way to center stage. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as he waited for his music to start. In those few seconds waiting for the haunting melody, Kurt felt his body relax. His shoulders became less tense and his rigid spine fell straight in posture instead of stress. Every bone in his body knew this dance, he felt the music in his soul as it started, and he began to dance.

As the music began Kurt stepped forward slowly, his arms coming up to his sides to move almost as if her were possessed, his head slowly rising with the music as the background vocals began slowly. As the music picked up Kurt lifted onto his toes raising one foot as he began to twirl, picking up momentum as the music took a hold of him. He ran across the stage into an allegro, picking up momentum with the song. His breathing remaining in sync with the moves as he jumped, landing back onto one foot, feeling himself almost stutter when he felt his hip snap but he continued on ignoring it. This would not be the time for him to fail. Kurt bit his lip, pushing past the sharp pain as the tempo picked up around him. He ran the stage around him, arms moving in tandem while he danced thinking of nothing more than finishing. He could do this.

Kurt jumped and spun, his body moving so in tune with the music it felt second to breathing. His moves became sharper, along with the music, as though he were a puppet being controlled from above. As the song got darker he thrashed, as though ripping the strings from him and becoming once more his own person. He danced wildly, unafraid and forgetting the pain as he gave it everything that he had. As the music became even darker his body moved faster and faster, spinning with the haunting melody as he held his breath, running across the stage once more into his big jump, landing with grace as he spun, the music coming to a sudden halt as he dropped himself to the floor, his head up towards the lights as he let out his breath.

He didn't come back to himself until he heard the applause around him, opening his eyes he looked to the side of the stage to see Rachel smiling broadly at him, wiping happy tears from her eyes. He bowed at the judges before running to her, sweeping her up in a hug and lifting her to spin her round.  
"Oh Kurt! That was simply amazing! Absolutely gorgeous!" she laughed. Kurt laughed with her, setting her down as some of the other dancers came to congratulate him. He smiled and laughed with them, as the waited for the final dancers to finish.

An hour later as the walked towards the casting list, once more clutching Rachel's hand Kurt felt content. Whatever happened he knew that he had done his best, and like she said, his mother would be proud. They walked up together, slowly reading before he heard Rachel's gasp, followed shortly by a squeal as the burst into tears. "Oh Kurt!" she cried as he continued to read the list, only two things standing out.

Rachel Berry: Odette

Kurt Hummel: Siegfried

He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, grabbing Rachel tight in a hug as the laughed and cried together. They had done it. HE had done it. Years of training and tears had come up to this moment. They had gotten their dream roles, everything he had ever wanted was printed out in black ink in front of his face. As he got passed around in hugs and pats on the back, Kurt didn't notice the dull pain spreading through his side.


End file.
